No Man's Land
by 2wingo
Summary: Abandoned by the government after a terrible earthquake, Amity Park is left with only one line of defense between it and its new ghostly masters: Danny Phantom. Full Summery inside.
1. Life is good

No Man's Land

_**(A/N: After spending several days trying to will my brain out of the SpongeBob-caused atrophy that it has been trapped in for a while, I can finally write again! This fic will be loosely-based on the "Batman" story arc of the same name. Enjoy, please read and review.)**_

**Summery:**When a massive earthquake causes the federal government to abandon Amity Park as a No Man's Land, ghosts take over the city, ruling over the remaining people in small, isolated fiefdoms. Now, Danny must fight to reclaim his city, perhaps even at the cost of his own life.

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It was a day like any other in Amity Park. Fall was in full bloom, and winter was fast approaching. Ghost attacks had been fairly low, but Danny still felt uneasy, like something terrible was coming, something he had never faced before. His silent fears were made worse by the recent string of microearthquakes that had been occurring underneath the city, though they were too weak to be felt on the surface. 

One evening, Jazz went down to the kitchen for a drink of water, and saw her brother in the living room by the hearth, staring at the slowly dying fire with steepled fingers. Jazz walked up behind him quietly and put her hand softly on his shoulder. For a while, he just kept on staring at the flames, as though he didn't even notice her.

"Danny," she said when he finally turned to face her, "something has been bothering you for the last week or so. You know that you can tell me anything. Does it have anything to do with all these subterranean earthquakes?" Danny took a long, sad breath and said, "I don't know, Jazz. I just have this feeling of . . . impending doom, like I had before I fought Pariah Dark. And the thing is, I think my Ghost Sense is causing it."

"Is it a new ghost?" asked Jazz, not quite understanding. Danny shook his head and said, "No, I think it's some kind of . . . prescience, or ESP, or something. I just have this feeling that something hasn't happened yet, but it will. And it's not going to be good." "Danny," said Jazz, taking on a motherly tone, "Go to bed. I'll tuck you in and tell you a story like mom did when you were little."

Danny smiled and did as he was told. Jazz even brought him a glass of warm chocolate milk. She stayed up for almost an hour, telling Danny stories from when he was too little to remember. He fell asleep that night feeling happier and more relaxed than he had since the microquakes began.

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The next day at school was a particularly good one for Danny. He had recently begun to display the same level of intelligence in Art, foreign Language, and Music that Jazz showed in Science, Mathematics, and History. Tucker had recently started going out with the new girl at school, a hot little redhead number named Natasha, and had scored his first girlfriend. Danny and Sam were still just best friends, even though everyone and their grandma knew that they were in love. 

"All right, class," said Lancer as the period drew to a close, "I want your book reports next Wednesday, no excuses." Danny, Sam and Tucker were among the first out when the bell rang, their plans for the weekend already in formation. "So," said Sam, "I was thinking we all gather at my place for pizza, movies, and enough sugary snacks to keep us awake for days."

"Sounds great," said Tucker, "but no can do. My folks are taking me to a family reunion in the mountains. You lovebirds have fun, though!" He started running as Danny and Sam yelled, "WE ARE NOT LOVEBIRDS!!!" at the same time. "So Danny," said Sam, quick to change the subject, "How about just you and I hang out this weekend?"

"Sounds great," said Danny, "Come by my place at 8:00?" "Actually," Sam replied, "it would probably be better if you stayed over at my house. Given your strain relationship with my parents, it would help keep their minds at ease if you were on their territory."

And so it went that Danny stayed the night at Sam's. Her parents were surprisingly genial, and pretty much left him alone. At one point, they went swimming in her underground pool. They played an excellent game of Marco Polo, not to mention the swimming races that Sam beat Danny in 5 times out of 9. As they drifted off to sleep a few hours later, Danny thought that his life couldn't get any better.

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_**(A/N: All Hell breaks loose next chapter. Any ideas and/or suggestions would be helpful since I haven't actually read the No Man's Land comic series, and am working pretty much in the dark. Please review.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	2. Richter's Wrath

_**(A/N: Okay, I have high hopes for this fic, and I will continue as long as I have at least one review per chapter. Anyway, thanks to mystery writer5775 for helping me with the plot for this chapter. I know you're reading, so please review.)**_

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The next week started out like any other. Classes were boring, Danny almost fell asleep several times due to his lack sleep over ghost fighting and microearthquakes, and now Lancer was going into a long (and surprisingly interesting) lecture about the contribution of Frank Herbert's Dune to Science-Fiction literature. "Now class," he said after about an hour of speaking, "does anyone have any questions?" 

Suddenly, the earth began to shake, rattle, and roll, and the city's Richter Scale jumped up to 5.7. For 1 minute, major damaged was caused to poorly constructed buildings and slight damage to well built ones. When it was over, several people had died in the underdeveloped section of the city.

About half an hour later, it started again, with the Richter scale shooting up to 6.4. It only lasted for 45 seconds, but the damage was done: An area of almost 100 miles was largely destroyed, killing at least a dozen people. Those who lived prayed that it was over, and those who'd lost a loved one mourned for them.

But it wasn't over. Later that night, as the local relief workers were going at their jobs, the most massive quake of all came: 7.6. The entire city, from one limit to the other, shook as though begin torn apart at the seams. Millions of people began to evacuate the city, with millions more determined to stay behind. The biggest tragedy of all happened when the Robert E. Lee Bride, the main way across the massive river that separated Amity Park from the rest of Northern California, collapsed completely, taking thousands of innocent people down with it.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, in the Oval Office, The president was sitting at his desk, tirelessly working to get all the proposed bills signed or vetoed. Suddenly, the Secretary of the Interior, followed closely by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, marched into the office and laid a dossier in front of the president. 

"Mr. President," said the SotI, "We have a situation in Northern California: The city of Amity Park has been ravaged by a series of earthquakes. More than one third of the city's population has either evacuated or is dead, and more are still trying to get out."

For a while, the president sat looking at the file with a look of shock and disbelief on his face. Finally, he said, "What do you recommend we do?" The SoHaHS replied, "We have no choice but to abandon Amity Park as a No Man's Land, and evacuate as many people as will go."

The skies over Amity Park were, for the next several days, filled with helicopters containing government workers as they tried to evacuate the city. However, many people refused to leave, demanding that the government send the Red Cross, National Guard, or anybody who could help the sick and injured.

In the end, the president issued one final order: All bridges were destroyed, and all known paths out of the city were covered by the National Guard. All people, even such superheroes as the Teen Titans, were forbidden from entering the island-city of Amity Park. The situation inside was left to the few police and Guys in White who had decided to stay.

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In this, their darkest hour, the people of Amity Park who had stayed behind gathered together, determined to save themselves and show both the government and the "Deezees" (those who deserted Amity Park in her hour of greatest need) that they could survive without them. 

The city's biggest saving grace would come from the Mansons, who, utilizing their political connections, were able to have limited food, water, medical supplies, and other essential resources smuggled into the city past the National Guard. The city's various religious institutions were put in charge of distributing them among the people, as well as acting as hospitals and homeless shelters.

As hopes for their survival began to rise, the people of Amity Park soon became optimistic that the government would help them when they saw that were doing alright on their own. They thought that they had been though Hell, and they were finally making their way back. But they knew nothing of Hell. Not yet.

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_**(A/N: Next chapter, I switch from "Omniscient" narrator to "Third-person limited" narrator. That's when the REALLY bad stuff starts to happen.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	3. Johnny's Downfall

_**(A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. You give me the strength to continue. Enjoy, please read and review.)**_

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Deep within the confines of the Ghost Zone, 10 ghosts stare out the Fenton Portal and at Amity Park with hungry eyes. "This earthquake is our chance to leave here permanently," said Skulker, grinning malevolently. Technus nodded in agreement and said, "It's a big city, but a bit small for all of us. Perhaps we should share territory." Finally, after much debating, it was agreed: Every ghost would share one of the city's boroughs (except for the Fright Knight, who was powerful enough to control one all on his own). 

Meanwhile, it was a typical (post earthquakes) day in Amity Park. Jack and Maddie Fenton had started leading the members of the Guys in White who had stayed behind along with the few remaining police as a crime-fighting team called the Blue Boys that was meeting with moderate success. It had proven difficult to reach areas of the city, but after Jack modified the Fenton RV into a humvee-like vehicle, maneuvering the rubble-strewn streets of Amity Park became much easier.

At Our Lady of Heavenly Love, Danny was finishing his daily rations. He'd never eaten chipped beef on crackers before, but it was actually quite good. "Danny!" called out a voice from across the room. Turning his head, he saw Sam hurrying around the other refugees toward him. He stood as she approached and wrapped her into a hug. "I've been so worried about you," he said, his voice filled with relief, "where have you been the last few days?"

"My parents have opened up our house as the unofficial command center," Sam explained, "and I've already gotten a message out to Tucker that we're okay. The situation looks really bad, though. There are still at least a million people alive in the city, and even with my parents' help, there just aren't enough supplies for everyone to adequately survive. Our only real hope is that the government will repeal the "No Man's Land" status and help us."

Danny hugged her tighter and said, "I know how bad things are, Sam. You see that woman behind us about 5 yards?" He pointed with his thumb toward a young woman nursing a baby. "That's Chandra Hope. She and her husband, Jefferson, came here the day before the quakes started, hoping to get some rest and relaxation before their child was born. She gave birth just last night. Little Michelle, the baby, is slightly underweight and dangerously weak. There's little hope for her to live. I look at them and I think, 'I'm supposed to be a superhero, right? So, why aren't I helping them?'. Then, I realized that I CAN'T help them. There's nothing in my power to do. This is, in my entire life, the first time that I've EVER been completely helpless and unable to do anything."

Suddenly, a number of booms sounded in the distance, and Danny heard people screaming. For a minute, Danny thought that it was an aftershock, but this fear was quickly abated (and replaced by a new one) when his Ghost Sense went off and he heard the familiar sound of energy beams. Dashing outside, Danny saw no fewer than 10 ghosts emerge from the rubble of Fenton Works, flying off in various directions.

A few minutes later, Johnny 13 appeared on top of the highest standing building, with Kitty and Shadow on either side of him. "All right, listen up," he yelled authoritatively, "This borough of the city is under my control now! Anyone who objects, dies! Just do as I say, and you'll all be fine."

The Blue Boys responded by firing their ecto-guns at the ghosts. Johnny made them all intangible and drove his motorcycle down the building to the ground. Whistling between his fingers, A number of ghostly bikers appeared and restrained the Blue Boys with flaming chains. By now, everyone in the borough was gathering around the building to see what Johnny would do now.

"I welcome you all to a public execution," he said loudly, "Just so that from now on, you know not to fuck with me." But suddenly, there was a massive explosion of green light as the balcony gave way under Johnny and Kitty's feet. "What the Hell was that?" asked Kitty as she hovered in the air. Johnny looked down the street a few yards and replied, "Him."

Danny flew through the streets and blasted the rubble, preventing it from hurting anyone. The crowd cheered to see that their resident hero had not abandoned them. "Let them go, Johnny," he said, "and it'll save you a beating." Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of revving motorcycle engines. Danny looked around to see no less that 50 of Johnny's ghostly biker henchmen. "KILL THE SON OF BITCH!" roared Johnny with sudden intensity.

Witnesses of that fight would, for years after, describe Danny more as a force of nature than a superhero. Using the kickboxing and judo skills he had taught himself, Danny decked one henchman after another, almost as if he wasn't registering the wounds he was picking up. Finally when he dropped the last of them, he looked at Johnny and said, "Your turn."

Even though Danny was tired and hurt, and even though Johnny had both Shadow and Kitty at his side, those who witnessed that battle remembered his tenacity, the way he gave more punishment than he took, and the way the fire in his green eyes never even wavered. And, in the end, he won. Trapping them all in the Fenton Thermos, he phased through the rubble and sent them back through the Fenton Portal.

Rising up from the destroyed building, Danny found himself face to face with Jack and Maddie. "You saved our lives," said Jack, with a tone of respect that Danny had never heard before (at least when being addressed directly), "and we're indebted to you." Maddie strode forward, held out a badge, and said, "We could use someone like you on the Blue Boys, Phantom."

Danny shook his head and replied, "I wish I could accept this, but I can't. When I first came here to Amity Park, I promised to protect it. This isn't my fault, but it IS my responsibility. And mine alone." With that, Danny flew into the sky. For a minute, there was silence, but finally, everyone started cheering and chanting when he picked up a spray can of glow-in-the-dark paint and etched his symbol onto one of the city walls. "I hereby declare this a liberated borough!" he said.

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_**(A/N: And more will follow. Next chapter: Danny's new costume! Please review.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	4. At the Heart of the Matter

_**(A/N: Awe, another new chapter. Please read and review. BTW, for those of you who are wondering, a borough is a division of a city or town.)**_

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As soon as Danny flew into an ally and changed back to human form, he collapsed on the ground, breathing hard and clutching his chest. He felt the internal, swollen feeling just above his abs, and he suddenly thought back to what his doctor had told him just a week and half ago: 

_Danny sat in the waiting room until the nurse called him into the office. Danny sat on the metal table while she took his blood pressure, etc. Finally, the doctor came in. The way his face was set, he obviously had bad news. "Danny," he said, "the test results are in, and I'm afraid that they aren't good. You have an aortic aneurysm." Danny sat with a confused look on his face until the doctor finally said, "An aneurysm is an excessive localized swelling of the wall of an artery. In this case, it is your aorta, the main artery that supplies blood from the heart to the rest of the body."_

_Danny sat quietly in shock while the doctor continued, "the weakness of the wall of your heart is probably a birth defect, this swelling is likely caused by that bacterial infection you contracted 6 months ago, and it has been worsened by the strenuousness of your extracurricular activities. At this point, you require surgery or you will die." "Dr. Costanza," said Danny, having finally gotten past the shock, "I can't afford the surgery. And I can't tell my parents without exposing my other identity." _

_The doctor just smiled and said, "Danny, I'll do this surgery for free. As Danny Phantom, you've made this city safe a hundred times over and a hundred times again. I'd be honored to save your life. Just come back in about 2 weeks, and in the meantime, limit your cholesterol and control your blood pressure."_

But before Danny could get this lifesaving surgery, the earthquakes had turned Amity Park into a No Man's Land, and he hadn't seen or heard from Dr. Costanza since that fateful appointment. Danny only hoped that he had either escaped with his life or was still in the city, alive and unhurt. He was broken from this state of remembrance when he heard feet running toward him. A soft voice said, "Danny, are you all right?"

Pulling himself to his feet, Danny turned to see Valerie Gray. "I'm fine, Val. I just ran all the way from across the borough when heard that Phantom was fighting Johnny 13. Looks like I missed it, though." "Yeah," replied Val softly, "but I saw it. I've really misjudged Danny Phantom. He saved so many lives, tonight."

Danny smiled internally at the thought of Valerie praising his other half. "Well, I have to go," she said, "My dad needs me back at our shelter. See ya, Danny!" He waved as she left. A few minutes later, Danny was back at Fenton Works. Having phased through the rubble, he was currently moving his hands along the wall, as thought searching for something. Suddenly, he heard the sound of moving rubble coming from the buried stairwell.

"Sam," said Danny with surprise when he saw who it was, "what are you doing here?" "I saw you come down here," she explained, "and I thought that you might need some help. What are you doing?" At that second, Danny found what he was feeling for: a secret button. Pressing it, another stairwell opened up out of the wall. "Follow me," he said to Sam. About 40 or 50 feet later, they arrived at the bottom, a smaller version of the Fentons' lab. "What is this place?" asked Sam. "A hidden room," replied Danny, "My mom built it when she and dad first moved here, and they just forgot about it. I found it by accident when I was 10. I've since made it my own private little headquarters."

Sam looked around. There was a metal table with a computer on it, some exercise equipment, a first-aid kit, a cot in one of the corners, some books, and souvenirs from Danny's various adventures as Danny Phantom. Not exactly the Batcave, but it was something. Sam's eyes finally turned to a metal wardrobe in the upper-left corner of the room. "What's in there?" she asked, pointing. Danny opened it and said, "A spare costume I came up with."

Sam was impressed by what she saw: A black T-shirt, black jeans, a black leather jacket, silver boots and gloves, and a white belt, all made (more or less) from the same material as his HazMat suit. To top it all off, there was a silver necklace with a pendant carved in the shape of the DP symbol hanging around the neck. "How did you make it?" asked Sam. Danny smiled and said, "With a lot of sweat and blood. I started work thinking that a sewing needle would be easy to handle. It wasn't." They both laughed for a while, but finally Danny became serious.

"I came here," said Danny, going ghost, "because my costume was shredded in the fight against Johnny 13. If I'm to save the rest of the town, I'll need something a little more durable to wear." A few minutes later, Danny was suited up. All he need now was some rest. Meanwhile, Sam had drawn a map of the city's boroughs and which ghosts ruled them. War had been declared on the ghosts of Amity Park, and Danny was about to go Operation: Barbarossa _Blitzkrieg_ on their asses.

_**(A/N: Here's a picture of Danny's new costume: http(colon)//dannyphantomcrazy(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/The-new-improved-Danny-Phantom-61193217)**_

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_**(A/N: Any and all ideas welcomed and appreciated. Please review.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	5. Fate

_**(A/N: So, this fic has already put itself into 4**__**th**__** place. With your reviews, It may even surpass "Termination," so please continue to R & R.)**_

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Everything was running smoothly in Walker and Bullet's little fiefdom. Walker's stringent rules (along with Bullet's total control of all of the food, water, and medical supplies) had broken the spirit of rebellion in the people. Walker sat at the ramshackle desk in the rundown building that gave him a full view of his part of the city. Smiling to himself, he said, "Don't you just love it when everything falls into place, Bullet?" His army-fatigued, cloaked wearing sidekick smiled and replied, "I just wish we'd had a chance to get that Ghost Boy before we did. Would've made this thing a whole lot sweeter." 

Suddenly, a small metal shell came through what was left of the window and landed near Bullet's boot. Picking it up, Walker tried to make out what it said on the side: White Phosphorus. "Oh, shit," both of them said in unison. 3 seconds later, they were blown out of their office and into the street. It was only 5 floors, and their ghost physiology made them more durable than humans, but it still hurt. To top it off, a smart alecky voice from above their heads said, "I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time?"

Both of them looked up to see Danny staring down at them. Quickly regaining composure and flying up to Danny's level, Walker said, "Unauthorized costume changes are against the rules, punk." "Let me at him, Walker," snarled Bullet, fists clenched, "I owe this little son of a bitch." Walker thought for a minute and said, "Tell you what: you beat him to the edge of death, and I'll take him the rest of the way." "Deal," replied Bullet as he lunged at Danny.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam was on her daily expedition to harvest what supplies remained in the city. She was currently looking through the office of Dr. José Costanza, searching for medical supplies and anything else that could be useful. She found Adrenaline shots, Ibuprofen tablets, various Antihistamines, and plenty of antibiotics. "Well, these'll be useful," she said when she finished packing them up. 

Suddenly, she spied a paper with the name Danny Fenton written on it. _What's this?_ she thought to herself as she picked up it. It was written mostly in medical babble, but when she saw the words "aortic aneurysm," she blanched, and her heart almost stopped when she saw the word "fatal" written somewhere after that. She dashed from the office, determined to find Danny.

* * *

Meanwhile, Danny had already dispatched Bullet and sucked him into the Fenton Thermos. "Okay, Walker," said Danny, turning toward him, "Now you get yours." Walker roared and lunged at Danny, letting his rage drive him (like most big, bruiser-type ghosts). Danny stood still until Walker was almost right next to him, and then spun at him with a powerful roundhouse kick, knocking Walker right though a nearby wall. "Your rules no longer apply," said Danny as Walker was sucked into the Thermos. 

Danny flew to the top of the highest building and tagged his symbol upon the wall. He stopped to rest on the top floor, feeling the pain in his chest as his weakened heart fought desperately to supply oxygen-rich blood to the rest of his body. Eventually he managed to stand. Suddenly, a voice behind him said, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Fenton." Turning sharply, Danny was relieved to see that it was just Sam.

Without giving him time to reply, Sam held up his medical diagnosis form and said, "Why didn't you tell me you had an aneurysm?! You could die from this, Danny!" Danny rubbed the back of his neck for a while in silence, but finally replied, "I didn't want anyone to worry. I was supposed to get the surgery 2 weeks after I found this out. But then the earthquakes started, and I haven't heard from Dr. Costanza since." Sam wrapped Danny into a tight hug and, without thinking, kissed him. Also without thinking, Danny started kissing her back. They didn't have to say anything.

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Deep within the Ghost Zone, in a gigantic fortress that existed out of normal space and time, the awesome, enigmatic ghost known only as Clockwork stared into his globe, watching the goings-on in the human world. Suddenly, he sensed that he had visitors. "Welcome, Observants," he said, his voice smooth as warm oil and deep as the rolling thunder. The first Observant replied, "This is not a social call, Clockwork. Surely you are aware of what transpires in Amity Park." 

"No," replied Clockwork, his voice dripping with sarcastic disdain, "Why don't you enlighten me?" The second Observant said, "You know as well as we do what has happened, and what will happen to Danny Phantom. He grows closer to death with every battle. The earth cannot afford to lose its mightiest protector at this crucial junction in history!" Clockwork simply shook his head and replied, "Everything is as it is supposed to be."

Clockwork placed his hand over his orb and its contents started to swirl, murky and red. "Let me show you what would happen if I offered him my help."

_Danny looked around at everything frozen around him. "Clockwork? What are you doing here?" he asked. Clockwork smiled and replied, "I know what has happened here in Amity Park, and what is happening in your own body. I wish to help you."_

_For a minute, Danny smiled, but then he frowned and said, "I can't accept your help with this, Clockwork. If I'm really worthy of being this city's protector, then __**I**__ have to bring it back from the brink."_

"The boy is wise beyond his years," said Clockwork when the vision was over, "he has accepted his destiny and thus mastered death. All is as it should be." The Observants were silent for a while, but the second one finally said, "Let us hope that you are right, Clockwork."

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_**(A/N: I hope this one came out all right. Please review. All ideas and suggestions welcomed and appreciated.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	6. From Bad to Worse

_**(A/N: You know what? Screw it. Screw it into the board of a ship and sink it to the bottom of the ocean to be subsequently eaten by a Kraken that itself will be subsequently killed by Davy Jones. What I'm referring to, of course, is NML's hiatus. I was working hard on that Zutara fic, when I remembered something: It is not currently within the scope of my abilities to write an ATLA fic that amounts to more than a pile of shit. So, I'm just going to go back and finish this fic first. I'm sorry to have disappointed anyone who was eager to read my Zutara fic. Anyway, please Read & Review.)**_

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Danny stalked quietly through the sewers beneath the city park. Skulker had been sighted in this area, but Danny lacked specific coordinates. Finally, he decided to stop, rest, and wait for Skulker to come to him. His thoughts began to drift back to his moment with Sam the day before. 

_He and Sam were finally sharing their first real kiss. He changed back into Danny Fenton and slid his hands across her back. She in turn wrapped hers around his waist. She licked his bottom lip, asking for entrance, and he allowed her to pass, their tongues darting and weaving across each other. Finally, both had to pull apart due to lack of sufficient oxygen._

"_I love you, Sam," said Danny, panting softly, "I should have told you every day since we first met." Sam looked at him with watery eyes and said, "Oh, Danny, I love you, too." She renewed their embrace, this time with more passion than before. _

_Danny began to maneuver her down to the ground, his hands gently brushing her private areas. Sam slid the jacket off his shoulders, braking their kiss only to remove his shirt, and capturing his lips again with searing passion._

Danny was broken from this memory by his Ghost Sense. A reflexive duck saved him from Skulker's right cross into the wall behind him. "What a surprise," hissed Skulker, "to find the young whelp who has caused me so much grief in my section of the city." Danny responded by hitting Skulker with a Ghost Ray that knocked him up out of the sewer and onto the street.

Skulker quickly regained his composure, firing a specially treated ectoplasmic net that stuck Danny to the side of a building. Danny found that he could neither break it nor phase through it. "Nice clothes, whelps," snarled Skulker as he approached, "but something else about you seems . . . different. Let's find out what." Before Danny could protest, Skulker turned his arm intangible and reached it into Danny's chest, feeling around for anything unusual.

After about a minute's search, Skulker pulled his hand out and, frowning, said, "Are you kidding me? Are you freakin' kidding me?!" Technus suddenly appeared from out of a wall and said, "What are you blustering about, Skulker?" He turned his head to see Danny struggling to get free.

"His heart is going to explode," replied Skulker, fuming, "His heart is actually going to literally burst open, and he comes to our borough looking for a fight when he's practically at Death's door! Do you have ANY idea how insulting that is?!"

Technus rolled his eyes and said with a sneer, "And why exactly are YOU complaining? He's kicked our asses every time we lock horns, he humiliated you in front of your woman (who, coincidently, has left you due to your inability to kill him), and he's foiled my plans for world domination several times. Now, we have him on a platter, and you're complaining?!" While the two of them argued back and forth, Danny had gripped one of the strands of the net and began to focus his internal energy upon it. _Maybe I can't break it or phase through it_, thought Danny, _but maybe I can burn through it._

"So it's agreed," said Technus, about 5 minutes later, "We'll kill him slowly, and savor the experience." Before Skulker could reply, Danny shot an enhanced Ghost Ray at them, blowing them like matchsticks through the wall of a nearby building. Danny took a minute to catch his breath. He felt the pulsing of his swollen aorta, and wondered if and when Skulker's blunt diagnosis would come true.

Danny quickly snapped back to attention when he saw Technus transform into a living stream of computer code and begin to surround Skulker. "There's no way my luck is that bad," said Danny. Before him stood Skulktech, version 1.0.

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_**(A/N: I promise that the next chapter will be longer, but I prefer to concentrate on the quality as opposed to the quantity.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	7. Silver Lining in the Dark Cloud

_**(A/N: Sorry it took so long, but my junior year at highschool has been tougher than I thought (and it's only the first week). Anyway, I'm starting to run low on ideas, so any that you guys can contribute will be acknowledged and appreciated.)**_

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Danny jumped up from his prone position and dodged Skulktech's first blow, a massive hammer that crackled with electricity. He quickly fired an energy blast at him, but Skulktech just absorbed it into his armor. "You didn't think it would be that easy," sneered the Technus half, "did you, child?" Danny didn't reply, he just turned invisible. Unfortunately, the Skulker half switched his vision to detect to gamma rays, which Danny radiated in abundance, invisible or not. "Sorry, whelp," said Skulker, "but there's nowhere on earth that you can hide from us."

"Oh, man," said Danny to himself, "I'm in trouble. Invisibility is out, and my Ghost Rays just make him stronger. Maybe if I phase through his armor, it'll short-circuit." Just as Danny flew at him to try this, however, he was hurled back and onto the ground by a flash of light. Skulktech laughed raucously as Danny struggled to stand. "A micro-electric forcefield," said Skulker. "Prevents you from phasing through our bodywork," said Technus. A number of long, robotic tentacles extended from Skulktech's back, wrapping around Danny and pulling him close. "Any last words, ghost child?" said Technus and Skulker in unison.

Danny grinned and said, "Think of something really pretty." He gripped one of the tentacles and sent his Ghost Stinger through it, causing a massive overload of energy to surge through Skulker and Technus, causing them to separate and pass out from the pain. Danny unceremoniously sucked them into the Fenton Thermos and fell to his knees, coughing hard. When breath came to him more easily, he looked at his hands and realized that he had coughed up blood. "My aneurysm is getting worse," he wheezed to himself, "I can't go on much longer." Danny changed back to his human form and sat for a while, panting as his weak heart tried to beat fast enough to oxygenate his body.

"You sound like a dog, Baby Pop," said a voice from above him. Danny looked up to see Ember floating next to Hotep-Ra, who smiled oily and said, "Do you wish to die like one, on your belly? Or on your feet, like a warrior?"

* * *

Night was fast approaching on Amity Park, and the National Guard's seaside barrier hadn't seen anything for over a week. It was in this state of supposed in invincibility that they allowed a dark form to swim under their boats without being seen. The dark form reached the beach quickly, but waited in the shallows until clouds covered the moon, allowing him to enter the city completely undetected.

Meanwhile, Sam had gone looking for Danny, and hoped that he wasn't in trouble. Suddenly, someone came up behind her and covered her mouth while wrapping their arm around her chest. "It's okay, Sam," whisper a familiar voice, "It's just me." He released her and flicked on a flashlight. "Tucker!" yelled Sam, half angry and half jubilant. She hugged him and said, "How did you get here?" He pointed into an alley, revealing SCUBA gear, and replied, "I swam. Where's Danny?" "I don't know, Tuck," she said quietly, "but he's in trouble."

* * *

Danny sucked Ember and Hotep-Ra into the Thermos. Fighting against Skulktech had already exhausted him, and this battle had almost killed him. He bled from numerous wounds, and the swelling in his aorta had actually increased a little.

He fought to stay conscious as he breathed hard. Danny was usually an optimist, but he thought to himself, _Another fight like this could kill me. But I only have one more borough to liberate. Then the Mansons can get me out of the city so I can have the surgery._ Finally, he could take it no more, Danny lapsed into unconsciousness, changing back into human form as he did.

Danny awoke an hour later on his cot back in his hidey-hole. "You okay, man?" said Tucker, standing over him with bread and cheese. Danny grabbed the food and wolfed it down, pausing only for a minute to say, "It's good to see you, Tucker." Tucker held up the front of Danny's shirt and pressed his hand against Danny's chest. He sighed with relief and said, "Your aneurysm hasn't burst yet, but it will if you keep going like you did today. Danny, you need surgery."

Danny shook his head and said, "I can't leave the city, Tuck. With the other ghosts gone, the Fright Knight's borough is the only one I haven't liberated. And he'll take the others. I have to stop him. It's the only way to convince the government that Amity Park is worth saving."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Oval Office, the President is meeting with an old acquaintance of his from trade college. "So you see, Mr. President," said the man, "Amity Park can still be saved. I will personally finance the bulk of the repairs. I only need your approval." The president sighed and said, "It's not so simple to just revoke an NML. You know that."

"George," replied the man, voice laced with annoyance, "you HAVE to do me this favor. We went to vocational school together!" The President sighed again and said, "You have my approval, but it's not I you have to convince. If you're willing to put this before Congress, than I'll get the wheels moving."

Vlad Masters stood up and turned to leave, saying, "Don't worry, George. I think I can persuade them to give Amity Park another chance."

* * *

_**(A/N: Sorry it took me so long, but school has been very tiring. Only a few more chapters, I'm sorry to say.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	8. The Final Battle Begins

_**(A/N: Sorry that it's taken me so long, but school's been really trying on my mental facilities. I guess I'm still working through the summer atrophy. Anyway, This is the second to last chapter. I hope you enjoy it.)**_

* * *

The Fright Knight stood atop the highest skyscraper in Amity Park, looking out at the city. His city. He turned to speak to one of his subordinates. "Now that the ghost child has defeated the others," he said, "my way is clear to take control of this entire city. And no one can stand in my way." 

Suddenly, the sound of roaring engines came from six blocks east. Turning his head toward the sound, the Fright Knight used his superior vision to watch as the Blue Boys headed for his "castle," the Fentons in the lead. "So," hissed the Fright Knight, "They seek to struggle once more before their ultimate fate, like a guttered candle that glows its brightest before it dies."

* * *

Danny knelt before the ornately carved image of Jesus on the Cross as he entered the deserted church. Crossing himself and bowing his head in an attitude of prayer, he said, "God, this is the hardest decision that I've ever had to make: Do I fight the Fright Knight, allow my aneurysm to burst, and die, or do I stand by and watch everything I've ever loved be destroyed? I've tried to be good, I've used my powers to help people, what more do you want from me?!" 

Danny stopped for a minute and felt tears welling up in his eyes. He took a shaky breath and continued, "I'm - I'm sorry. I know that suffering is a test of faith, but I - I feel so hopeless. Please, Lord, just send me a sign, _anything_, to show me that You hear my voice." For a minute, the church was silent. But suddenly, the holy candles on the altar began to flicker, and eventually died. A pure, brilliant, shining white light began to glow above Danny's head, illuminating his tear-streaked face.

* * *

Sam leaned over her makeshift toilet and threw up as neatly as she could into it. This was only the latest of several mornings that she had woken up feeling sick as a dog. She'd had stomach flu before, but it was nothing compared to this. Finally catching a breath, she drained a glass of water and took an antacid. It didn't help much, but at least she could stand. "Ugh," she groaned softly, "what's wrong with me?" 

Her thoughts then turned to three weeks ago, when she and Danny had made love. She hadn't had her monthly yet this month, but she'd never been regular in that manner. It couldn't mean . . . Sam clutched at her stomach, feeling a mixture of motherly joy and heart-wrenching fear at her sudden realization: she was pregnant with Danny's baby.

* * *

The Blue Boys had been locked in pitched combat with the Fright Knight's minions for almost an hour, and they were slowly advancing. Thus far, the Fright Knight had stood atop his "castle" and watching the battle unfold, but now it was time to enter the fray. Raising his hand, a neon-purple ectoplasmic meteor emitted from his hand, causing a small crater in the rubble-strewn street below. All the Blue Boys were knocked off their feet as the Fright Knight flew down to consolidate his victory. "You have fought bravely," he said, Soul Shredder in hand, "but your time has come." 

As the Fright Knight raised his sword, preparing to send Jack and Maddie into a dimension of their own worst fears, A blaze of light blasted the Fright Knight to the other side of the street and through several walls. Standing, he saw Danny in his ghost mode, wielding what appeared to be a _guandao_ with a handle made of white jade and an obsidian blade set in green jade. This strange weapon was completed by the red ectoplasmic flame that surrounded the blade.

"So, Danny Phantom," intoned the Fright Knight, hefting his own weapon, "ready to die?" Danny smirked, assumed a fighting stance, and replied, "I was BORN ready, motherfucker."

* * *

_**(A/N: I promise, I won't take as long to write the next chapter. Please review.)**_

TO BE CONTINUED.


	9. The Warrior

_**(A/N: Okay, it's here: The final chapter. The complete resolution of NML. Are you ready? Read & Review. BTW, the title of this chapter will make sense if you listen to the song "The Warrior" by Scandal, an 80's rock band with vocalist Patty Smyth.)**_

* * *

**Amity Park**

Danny and the Fright Knight charged at each other, weapons raised. The Soul Shredder came down hard, but Danny parried the blow, kicking the Fright Knight's feet out from under him. He thrust his _guandao_ toward the Fright Knight's chest, but the Fright Knight rolled away and jumped to his feet. The two combatants began sparring vigorously, giving no quarter and receiving none.

The citizens of Amity Park watched, horrified and yet they couldn't look away, as two of the mightiest ghosts in the world battled for the fate of their city. Valerie Gray stood among the spectators until she could stand no more. With a look of determination on her face she ran from the crowd to an abandoned building, barely hearing her father call out, "Valerie, where are you going?!"

Entering the building, she looked over her hidden cache of weapons and said, "How could I have been so wrong about him? Danny Phantom is a hero. I have to help him." Pressing a secret button on her watch, a swarm of computer code surrounded her body and formed her robotic armor. Summoning her rocket-sled, Val flew out of the building.

* * *

**The U.S. Congressional Headquarters**

Vlad stood on his podium, giving him a clear view of the entire Senate and House of Representatives. He had already bribed or blackmailed the necessary members, and had several of his ghostly minions overshadowing more. "Ladies and gentlemen," said Vlad in his most persuasive voice, "I am Vlad Masters, former mayoral candidate for the city of Amity Park, California. Recently, it has been devastated by a series of terrible earthquakes, prompting the President to declare it a No Man's Land and abandon the people who refused to leave. I have come before you to plead their case."

"This is America," continued Vlad, "since when does this government 'of the people, by the people, and for the people' abandon those who are most in need of your help?! Yes, the devastation is widespread, yes, the city is in ruins, but it can still be rebuilt! We have the National Guard, the Red Cross, our NATO allies, and plenty of other avenues for beginning repairs upon Amity Park. If necessary, I will personally donate as much of my own money as necessary to finance this endeavor. I ask now that you decide if this is enough reason to save that city."

For the next several hours, the matter was debated back and forth, and the votes were tallied. As the President went over the results, his eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise. Finally he said to Vlad, "Congratulations, Mr. Masters. No Man's Land has been revoked."

* * *

Danny and the Fright Knight had been fighting for the better part of a day, and neither had even begun to slow down. _I can't go on much longer_, thought Danny, _my heart feels like it's going to burst anytime now. Please, God, give me the strength to carry on_. His train of thought was interrupted by the Fright Knight as he knocked Danny's _guandao_ out his hand and knocked him to the ground. Placing his foot on Danny's throat, the Fright Knight said, "It's a shame for a warrior of your skill to die like this, but such is life." 

Danny didn't really feel anything as the Soul Shredder plunged into his chest, except for an empty feeling of cold. As he slowly began to slip into a dimension of his own worst fears, he heard the Fright Knight say, "As your soul enters the World of Fear, your power will become mine, and this whole world will soon fall under my control!"

"No way in Hell am I dying like this!" roared Danny. The sheer force of his will to remain actually caused the Soul Shredder to disintegrate, knocking the Fright Knight to his knees. "You blundering juvenile," snarled the Fright Knight in a low voice, "Do you have any idea what you've done?!" "Yes," replied Danny caustically, "I've destroyed your greatest source of power."

The Fright Knight laughed ruefully and said, "Perhaps, but without the Soul Shredder, my storm of terror cannot be contained." As he spoke, the clouds began to turn dark green, with ominous lightning and icy cold wind brewing up. "The only way to stop it this time," said the Fright Knight smugly, "is to destroy me." Danny didn't respond. He just flew at breakneck speed and rammed the Fright Knight in the chest, smashing him though several buildings.

"Hey Phantom!" yelled a voice from above. Danny looked and saw Valerie holding his discarded _guandao_. "You need some help?" she said, a shadow of a smile on her lovely face. He nodded and said, "There's no point in trying to contain the Fright Knight this time. We have to destroy him." Before Val could reply, the Fright Knight worked himself free of the pile of rubble that Danny had buried him under and shot one of his ectoplasmic meteors at Valerie, knocking her out of the sky.

Without thinking, Danny rushed to where she lay. Her armor dissolved back to its digital form as he took her pulse. She was unconscious, but unharmed. The Fright Knight took advantage of this distraction and fired another ecto-meteor, slamming Danny to the ground a few feet away. Picking him up by the collar, he said, "Hail me as your master, child, and I'll make your death quick and painless." "FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE!!" bellowed Danny. Danny suddenly felt the enchanted _guandao_ fly into his hand, and quickly drove the obsidian blade into the Fright Knight's chest.

The storm in the sky vanished as the Fright Knight's body began to gurgle and seize as Danny used all his strength to slice the blade through his nervous system. Finally, Danny focused his last bit of energy through the white jade handle and vaporized the Fright Knight's remains. Dropping the blade, Danny smiled and realized that he had unconsciously returned to his human form. The crowd was deathly quiet, then they began cheering. Suddenly, the sound of hundreds of thousands of helicopters filled with National Guardsmen and Red Cross relief workers began to sound in the air as Danny felt the swelling in his chest tear open from the strain he had gone through, and the last thing he saw before passing out was Sam rushing to his side.

* * *

Danny slowly came to. He didn't know how much time had passed or where he was, but he realized that it was some sort of hospital, and that he had a number of tubes and pumps sticking into him in various areas. A familiar form appeared in the doorway. 

"Vlad?" said Danny softly. Vlad nodded and said, "How are you doing, Daniel?" "Where am I?" asked Danny. Vlad replied, "You're in a hospital in Sacramento. You were extremely lucky to get here when you did. Not many people survive a burst aneurysm like you did." Danny quickly felt his chest and realized that it was swathed in surgical bandages. "How did they get me a new heart so quickly?" "You can thank undifferentiated stem cells for that," replied Vlad, "they used some of yours to grow you a new heart."

"What about Valerie?" asked Danny. "She's fine," said Vlad reassuringly, "A few broken ribs, some arterial damage, mainly a lot of bumps and bruises. She'll be out of here before you will." Sam suddenly burst into the room and wrapped Danny into a tight hug. "I'll leave you two alone," said Vlad with a smile as he left.

"Sam, loosen your grip a little," wheezed Danny. She let go and said, "I'm sorry Danny, I'm just so happy that you're alive." Danny held her in his arms and kissed her softly. She lay there in his arms for a while before she said, "Danny, I'm pregnant." Danny sat there, dumbstruck for a minute, but finally said, "Sam, that's - that's wonderful." Danny stood up and got down on one knee (a difficult feat, with half a dozen IV's stuck in you). "Sam, I love you," he said, "Will you marry me?" She didn't answer, just wrapped her arms around him again and started frenching him furiously.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Vlad rebuilt the city out of his own pocket, an investment that proved a prudent one when crude oil was discovered just on the outskirts by his workers, making Vlad even more obscenely rich than he had been before. When the next Presidential election came around, Vlad Masters became the first U.S. President to ever be elected from the Libertarian party.

Danny and Sam were married two years after their child was born. It was a baby girl whom they named Trix. Sam's narrow birthing canal required a Caesarian section, but both she and Trix walked away in near-perfect health.

It took Danny a while to adjust to life as a public superhero, but he managed. His parents were thoroughly shocked, but they accepted him for what he was (after giving him a severe reprimand for lying to them for so long, that is). The shock was hardest on Valerie, who had a hard time believe that her ex-boyfriend was really her former enemy. Eventually, she got over it and remained fast friends with both Danny and Sam. She even accept the position of being Trix's godmother.

* * *

_**(A/N: Well, what did you think? I doubt that I'm going to write a sequel to this, but I might. Please review.)**_

_FINIS_


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